Illus. by Brigette Barrager. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781681197784.
40pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. When CeCe wants to join the
neighbourhood gang and be a pirate like them, she is rebuffed and
told she cannot be a pirate, so she swings her sword over her
shoulder and marches off to see her grandfather who with all his
tattoos, must know a little about being a pirate. And she is right.
Grandfather trawls through his gallery of tattoos, each with a story
and each reminding CeCe of the tenacity needed to be a pirate. The
first tattoo is of a ship and he tells her that a pirate is brave,
overcoming obstacles and forging ahead. Next is a panther and to be
a pirate she must be quick to escape danger at any moment. A dancing
senorita shows her that she must also have fun, and an eagle
reflects a pirate's need to be independent. All of these attributes
are necessary to being a pirate, but Grandfather warns, there is one
that shines out over them all and it is this one that sees CeCe
rushing back to the tree house and joining the boys.
The imaginative use of Grandfather's tattoos underscores the humour
in this book. An older man's tattoos are usually hidden by clothing,
so to see them standing out proudly will cause a lot of laughter
amongst the readers, and to see how he uses each one to tell a story
and enthuse CeCe with the skills needed to be a pirate, is simply
charming.
Each tattoo creates a new adventure for CeCe to explore, and readers
will quickly fill out the story behind each of the the wonderful
illustrations. Vibrant and full of movement, readers will be in no
doubt about the exploits of a pirate, poring over the drawings to
see what pirates do and how brave, adventurous, quick and
independent they are. Pirates, Humour, Grandparents, Bravery.
Fran Knight
Australian Children's Illustrated Dictionary
Dorling Kindersley, 2020. ISBN: 9781760896577. 256pp.
All dictionaries contain lists of words with their meaning
displayed. This simple dictionary is targeting younger users, and it
has a few features that add some valuable detail to the word
meaning. The first pages explain basic grammatical terms in easy to
understand language. There are also some dictionary-related games
prior to the illustrated dictionary lists and at the end of the
dictionary are: lists of abbreviations; a phonetic spelling guide;
prefixes and suffixes examples; Facts and figures related to
measurement; Australian holidays; Numbers plus ordinal numbers and
Roman numerals; symbols and a list of countries in the world.
The presentation of this children's dictionary has Dorling
Kindersley's clarity and child-friendly quality. The definitions use
language that children will be able to understand (there is nothing
more frustrating than needing a dictionary to help understand a
dictionary meaning!)
This book will sit well in a classroom or school library as a basic
reference book. Theme: Dictionary; Words.
Carolyn Hull
The astronaut's cat by Tohby Riddle
Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760524944. 32pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. The image of a cat peering out of the
space lab's porthole is mesmerising: at once preposterous and
curiously entrancing, it will impel younger readers to wonder about
the story inside.
This cat is an inside cat: she spends her time sleeping and eating
and playing with her musical ball which looks like Earth. She likes
to look out of the window at the astronaut at work, or just look at
the rocks. She knows that it will be too hot for her outside during
the day and freezing at night and there is air inside the space lab
and none outside, and there is some sound inside but not outside,
but still she wonders what it would be like. She dreams of being out
there, bouncing in the dust, leaping and twirling, higher than ever
before. She dreams she sees her ball in the ink black sky and dreams
she is on it with its millions of shapes and forms, colours and
things to wonder at.
The curious cat reveals the world as she can see it from space:
beautiful, colourful, scenic and pristine. But readers will know
that it needs care to remain this way. A testament to the fragility
of the Earth, Riddle's work is always quirky and mischievous. We can
rely on him to produce a story that has layers of meaning and
intent, and is deeply satisfying.
His quirky premise that a cat can live in a space lab will quicken
readers' imaginations, provoke them to dream themselves of what it
would be like for a cat on the moon and initiate thoughts about what
it would be like for them to be on the moon. And within
Riddle's sparse poetic lines they will pick up much information
about the moon and its treasures.
With his illustrations reflecting an interest with mixed media and
collage, readers again will be intrigued, looking for examples of
paper cut out, collage, antique engravings and watercolour
illustrations of flora and fauna. His mix of techniques adds yet
another level of interest to a book which is already endlessly
fascinating. Teacher tips and notes on making the book are available.
Themes: Cats, Astronauts, Moon, Space travel, Companionship.
Fran Knight
The night of the hiding moon by Emma Allen
Illus. by Sher Rill Ng. NLA Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780642279583.
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. From the wonderful cover to the last
page the luminous quality of the illustrations will entrance the
reader. Turning from the bright yellow of the cover the book shows
us young Felix, cowering under his blankets, frightened. The pages
are now in direct contrast to the image on the front cover: black
and dark, menacing and scary. The moon is hiding too from the
deafening giants strolling across the sky. But Felix reaches for his
torch and uses the light to make a shadow puppet on the wall by his
bed and decides to make one his friend, a companion who will support
him when the moon is in hiding.
Together they shake off the fear that the night brings, and the
puppets display the attributes so needed by Felix to defeat his
fears. Together they go outside, bold against the bright light of
the torch, emulating the light used behind shadow puppets in a
theatre, and bring back the moon from her hiding place. The night of the hiding moon is a charming story about
finding courage in times of great desperation. Many find
thunderstorms a source of fear and anxiety, but Felix overcomes this
by confronting his fears, finding strength within himself.
Allen's delightful text allows Ng's strong illustrations to present
Felix's quest for courage in a way that all readers will understand
and enjoy. This tale uses traditional Asian puppetry as the puppets
conjured up by Felix and his torch and I love the inclusion of
several pages of background information on puppets used in the art
of storytelling, particularly in Indonesia, along with templates for
making your own shadow puppet. The puppets shown in the information
section are from the National Library's collection.
A wonderful read: an exciting story, imparting information about a
form of theatre we rarely see while giving children the opportunity
to make their own puppets. Themes: Shadow puppets, Fear, Anxiety,
Thunderstorms, Moon.
Fran Knight
Nelson: Pumpkin and Aliens by Andrew Levins
Illus. by Katie Kear. Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760893347.
(Age: 6-10) Highly recommended. Can you name two ingredients that
would rarely be seen together? In this book, those two ingredients
are pumpkins and aliens (purple aliens!). Nelson Hunter is a Year 3
kid who despises vegetables in any form or at any meal. He has
elaborate plans to avoid every vegetable that is ever served to him,
even creating his very own, under-the-bed compost pile of discarded
vegetables. And to add to the dilemma, his grandparents grow
vegetables and are liberal in sharing them.
After a bad day when his school presentation lands him in detention
for telling the 'unbelievable' story of the Aliens from Despina and
his grandparents arrive and he cannot avoid the consumption of
pumpkin soup, there are some unexpected consequences . . . Nelson
Hunter wakes up with astonishing superpowers. The totally
unbelievable visit of the aliens with the potential to wipe out the
population of teachers at the school must be dealt with by Nelson,
with the help of his best friend Olive and the ingestion of pumpkin!
For every child who has disliked one or all vegetables, this book
will be a hit. With extremely quirky events (aliens at school),
eating from the under-bed compost and the potential for more
superpowers in combination with other vegetables, there will be
young readers eager to read this book and the future adventures with
Nelson Hunter. What does his Grandma have in mind with other
vegetables and how much weirder can his life get?
Gross and delightful in combination and deliberately funny, this
ticks all the boxes for young readers.
The cartoon illustrations by Katie Kear are naive and comedic, and
predominantly black and white with pumpkin-coloured highlights.
Themes: Vegetables; Aliens; Superpowers; Humour; Truth.
Carolyn Hull
Monty's Island: Scary Mary and the Stripe Spell by Emily Rodda
Illus. by Lucinda Gifford. Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN:
9781760529857. 176pp.
(Age: 6-9) Highly recommended. Emily Rodda always writes with flair
and understanding of what children will like. This book is for
younger readers for whom a little bit of fantasy and magical
nonsense is very appealing. Monty and his miscellaneous 'lucky-dip'
collection of animal and human companions live on a rather unusual
island. They beach-comb for treasures, avoid the local marauding
pirate - Scary Mary, practise magical tricks, laugh with (and at)
each other and visit the only sign of human habitation - the Cafe,
run by Marigold. An unexpected find on the beach leads to a magical
and stripy transformation of all that they see, just before the
arrival of Scary Mary's pirate ship with her crew of misfits. The
island has some far-fetched creatures including the Argue birds,
scatterworms, jinglebees and the Hairy Horrible, all of whom have a
part to play in the protection of the island from the destructive
talents of the Pirate crew.
This is just a light-hearted and fun adventure for young readers who
have moved to independent reading. With characters introduced with a
visual introduction by the illustrator with her appealing comic
cartoon-like illustrations, the book launches into the
not-quite-normal world of Monty's Island. Launching straight into
the text of Chapter 1 without spending time getting to know the
characters from the visual introduction is not wise, but it does not
take long to work out the antics of each of the eccentric island
inhabitants. As the magical and comedic adventure progresses, the
fun continues in spades (you need a spade to dig up the treasure,
don't you?!)
Definitely to be recommended for young readers who need a bit of
deserted island escapism. This is book one, with more to come, so we
will be able to keep recommending more from this acclaimed author.
Themes: Pirates; Magic; Treasure; Fantasy; Deserted Island;
Friendship.
Carolyn Hull
Sabotage by Shelley Johannes
Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker book 3. Lothian
Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780734417350.
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. Beatrice Zinker, with her small group of
friends, have created a wonderful, but secret, campaign to
acknowledge 'special' people within their school community with a
certificate of honour. The joy of these awards seems to have sparked
a copycat. Beatrice is known for her creative thinking upside-down
(and for her break-dancing skills) and in combination with her
oldest friend Lenny and their new friend Sam, have made something
worthwhile in the community, but the copycat award introduces an
element of distrust in the friendship. Beatrice must sort out the
sabotage and work out who has copied their awards. Unfortunately,
things do not go smoothly and acting like a jellyfish, missing the
bus and a trip to the Principal's office create interesting detours
in her investigation.
Beatrice's eccentricity and her abilities, both right-way-up and
upside-down, make her a charming main character. This is the third
book in the series and there are references to the previous books
and complications for the young girl. The book could be read easily
without having to read the previous books in the series. Quirky
illustrations interspersed through the text add comedic detail. This
is another series that will engage younger female readers who love a
mystery and friendship story, with a hint of humour. Themes:
Friendship; Jealousy; Acts of Kindness; Break-dancing.
Carolyn Hull
Gulliver's wife by Lauren Chater
Simon and Schuster, 2020. ISBN: 9781925596380.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Mary Gulliver,
widow of the famous seafaring ship's surgeon, Lemuel Gulliver, has
carved an existence for herself as a midwife to women in need, her
hard earned income and frugality gradually paying off the debts left
by her careless husband. It seems that finally she might manage to
maintain her household - herself, her teenage daughter Bess, young
son Johnny, and the household help Alice, an escapee from a violent
home. It is the early 1700s London; women are completely dependent
on men to protect and provide for them. Mary has always to be
careful of her reputation, opinion could quickly turn against her,
and she could find herself spurned and despised, without anyone to
stand between her and the mob - apart perhaps from the steadfast
Richard, cousin to her husband, and probably the man she should have
married. It seems she has finally managed to work out a reasonable
existence, when what should happen but that the long lost husband,
presumed dead in a shipwreck, suddenly reappears drunken and
dishevelled, and invades their lives.
This is a novel in the style of The
other Bennett sister by Janice Hadlow, where the author
has picked out a minor character from a classic novel and reimagined
the story from their perspective. In this case, Mary Gulliver is a
minor character, barely mentioned in Swift's story of Gulliver's
travels. Chater has sought to understand what her life would
have been like, abandoned for years on end while he sailed the seas,
and then suddenly having to deal with a husband returned from the
dead, with stories of monsters, little men and tiny sheep. If
Hadlow's story of Mary Bennet highlighted the desperate need for
women to ensnare a suitable husband and provider in the 19th
century, Chater's story reveals the even worse situation in the 18th
century where women could be raped, abused, and cast out with
nowhere to go.
Centre to Chater's story is the mother-daughter relationship between
Mary and Bess. Bess cherishes her memories of her father's wondrous
stories and treasures from distant lands. She wants to live his life
of adventure and is unappreciative and alienated from her mother's
work with suffering women. Mary's desire to protect her daughter
from harsh realities means that the two have become distanced from
each other, and only with time does Bess come to understand the kind
of bravery that Mary represents.
This novel provides a unique perspective on the hidden lives of
women in literature, and in history, whilst also exploring the
mother-daughter relationship in a way that is relevant to today.
Themes: Women, Mothers and daughters, Abuse, Childbirth, Midwifery.
Helen Eddy
Dugong magic by Deborah Kelly
Illus. by Lisa Stewart. Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9780734419965. 32pp.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. With the vulnerable dugong only surviving
within marine parks around Australia's coast, this timely look at
the animal and its habits and vulnerability should shake the
sentiments of young readers to help them become more aware of how we
have had an impact on the lives of these majestic animals who live
as long as we do.
The first half of the story shows the birth and early development of
a dugong, bonding with its mother, helped to make its first steps
within the marine environment, rising to the surface, testing its
strengths, finding the right food to eat and how to eat it, learning
to hide when predators come along. But it is the human activity that
throws them more than anything else. They must avoid the rubbish
thrown into the sea, dive down when noisy fast boats skim over the
water above, look out for nets that entrap until the dugong calf
finds it is alone.
Children will be saddened for the baby dugong, left alone in a sea
of danger, but be made well aware that it is unsafe because of our
misuse of the land in which we live. The last four double pages
offer solutions that will delight the readers, upset by the dugong's
plight. This will engage the children in real solutions after
reading the story preceding it, and all is followed by a page of
information about the dugong, aimed at giving the reader the
information they need to better understand the plight of the dugong,
half of the world's population of which live in Australian waters.
Themes: Dugongs, Pollution, Environment, Vulnerable animals,
Fishing.
Fran Knight
Goodnight glow worms by Aura Parker
Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780143792918. 32pp.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. What happens when glow worms must go to
sleep? These glow worms, the yellow, red, green, blue and pink glow
worms just cannot turn off their glow and lie awake in their beds.
In rhyming pairs of lines, Parker tells the story of a group of glow
worms going to bed. They lie down, but simply cannot wind down. They
try counting to three to no avail, so they call in mum for a
goodnight kiss. She kisses their noses, cheeks and toes and off they
go to sleep. But yellow glow worm cannot find his blankie so a
search is on until it is found and he can quietly go to sleep with
his sisters and brothers.
A bedtime story to quieten even the most irascible of would be
sleepers, the gentle coaxing rhymes will help with last minute
attempts to get them to sleep. The storyline is one that will
intrigue but the tale of the timeline to bedtime is
universal, ending with mum's kisses and a final hold on to a
blankie. The calming, quiet words envelop the listener, helping them
in their trip to snuggling down into their bed for sleep.
Along the path to sleep, Parker includes colours and numbers, subtly
introducing basic information at a young age, reinforcing learning
these concepts, while the rhyming phrases impel the listener to
predict the rhyming word.
Parker's use of mixed media, pencil, watercolour and digital
composition will delight the young as they see the humour in the
illustrations, carefully watching the little glow worms as they wind
down to sleep. The detail will intrigue and the endpapers
particularly will engage the readers, following the maps of the glow
worm caves. Themes: Glow worms, Bedtime, Humour, Verse.
Fran Knight
The crumbling castle by Brenda Gurr
The fabulous cakes of Zinnia Jakes series. New Frontier
Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781925594973. 88pp.
(Age: 7-10) Zoe Jones (alias Zinnia Jakes) is a nine year old girl
who lives with her Aunt Jam. Her mother, who was a famous pastry
chef, has died, and her father, a renowned restaurant critic, is
always travelling the world. Since a young age Zoe has had a flair
for cake baking and runs a very successful secret cake making
business under the eye of her Aunt. Zoe's best friend Addie is in on
the secret. Addie is a great gymnast and very good at STEM
activities. Zoe is emailed a special order to make a medieval cake
for a woman at a medieval fair. The cake will be raffled and the
money will go to a worthy cause. Her aunt and her aunt's boyfriend
are also learning medieval instruments, to play at the fair. Zoe's
cat Coco has special ways of communicating with her, such as paw
tapping and tail flicking, and lets Zoe know that her original idea
of building a castle from chocolate cake isn't authentic. Zoe does
some research and finds a very interesting original recipe. Addie,
being a STEM whiz, helps with the design of the castle. However, in
order to deliver the cake to her client and remain a mystery, Zoe
has to engage in some subterfuge. It isn't all plain sailing for Zoe
with an unpleasant teacher and boy bully but in the main it is an
upbeat though somewhat contrived story.
The author has included the medieval recipe Zoe uses which is quite
a good ploy. This novel has short sentences and is aimed at young
independent girl readers. Given the interest we have in celebrity
cooking it will certainly have an audience. The main characters are
all smart and resourceful, so are good role models for girls. The
sparkly colourful cover is attractive. Another book is coming in the
Zinnia Jakes series.
Jo Marshall
Bear was there by Sally Anne Garland
New Frontier Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781925594935.
(Age: 3+) When Mouse is born, mother looks after him, showing him
how to survive in the forest, warning him of things to avoid.
She shows him the flowers, the tall grass and insects. He feels the
breezes and the sun's warmth, but always she reminds him of the
danger lurking. When he sees the shadow of Bear in the distance, he
rushes back to their home in the nook of the tree. But eventually he
grows and must go off to make his own home. He plays in the grass
and suddenly Bear is there. But he seems harmless as he only looks
and then pads away. Mouse thinks that maybe he is not as scary as he
thought.
Winter approaches with its strong winds and icy storm.
Bear crashes through the cold winds to his shelter and Mouse
follows. Bear curls up to sleep for the winter, and Mouse curls up
near his head, safe and loved.
A story of overcoming your fears, of testing stories told you as a
child, this charming tale of the bond between two totally different
animals will appeal to younger readers.
While reminding children that there are concerning things to be
aware of in their environment, it also tells them to be open to
friendship that is offered.
The soft illustrations will charm younger readers, looking for the
detail in the background of each page and the way Garland has drawn
the bear's fur and the mouse's coat. Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Bears, Mice, Trust, Love,
Friendship.
Fran Knight
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour by Ally Carter
Lothian Children's Book, 2020. ISBN: 9780734419163. 256pp.
(Ages 8-12) Highly recommended. April was left by her mother with a
note saying she would be back to collect April as soon as she could,
and April has been waiting patiently in foster care for 10 years.
April's mother also gave her a mysterious key that April always
wears around her neck.
While on excursion in a museum April notices the key matches the
crest of the infamous Winterborne family. So, when April accidently
sets fire to the exhibit it sets in motion a series of events that
sees her living in their mansion called Winterborne House with 4
other orphans. She is desperate to know what her key unlocks and
starts a quest to search the house from top to bottom. In her search
she unearths the secret of the missing (and presumed dead)
billionaire, Gabriel Winterborne, who was the sole survivor of a
family tragedy which killed his entire family. She finds the
billionaire living below the house and now she is determined to get
him to help her solve the mystery of her key and reclaim his
inheritance before nasty Uncle Evert makes sure he is dead and
claims the fortune for himself.
This is the first book in a series, and this is made obvious as we
only get sketchy details of each character in this first story. Each
orphan in the book has a special talent that April uses to help her
solve her mystery and bring about a positive result for the very
uncooperative billionaire. The mansion is peopled with the usual
trusty butler, a caring Ms Nelson who runs the Winterborne House and
has a long association with the family and a shadowy super-hero who
may or may not be an urban legend.
Some threads of the story were left hanging in the end. The
disappearance of Ms Nelson at the end of the book is puzzling. Also,
the key around April's neck was dealt with in the story and we get
to know what it opens, but we are left with no idea why April wore
it or why her mother had it in the first place.
It was quite a fast-paced story that moved along well most of the
time and I am sure it will leave middle primary readers waiting for
the next installment. Themes: Orphans and orphanages, Foster care,
Missing persons, Revenge, Mysteries, Friendship.
Gabrielle Anderson
Teaching writing ed. by Tessa Daffern and Noela M. Mackenzie
Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760528928.
Highly recommended. Subtitled Effective approaches for the
middle years this new book would appear to be the ultimate
repository of everything needed in the teaching of English, i.e.
English as a language, its critical appraisal, construction and
deconstruction of texts, writing in English, and the analysis of,
and responses to, many different kinds of texts. Its richness lies
in the work of the 16 contributors, supported by two editors, and
would assist any teacher working with the English language in terms
of understanding the language in its multifaceted dimensions,
building curriculum that would cover all possible aspects of the
English language and the examples that would assist the classroom
teacher. It is a stunning new work, a text book that is a serious
consideration of English as language and communication. I would
highly recommend it for any English teacher of both young and older
students.
Elizabeth Bondar
Elephants with headlights by Bem Le Hunte
Transit Lounge, 2020. ISBN: 9781925760484. 304pp.
(Age: Adult) Highly recommended. When blonde Australian girl Mae
meets handsome Indian boy Neel on a beach in India, it is instant
romance, leading to a shared life together in Australia, only
returning to India for their special Indian wedding. But as Mae
steps foot in the family home, there is the inevitable clash of
cultures. For this reader, having once had an Indian mother-in-law,
the explosive scenes are all too familiar, and very funny. From what
she wears, to where she goes, to what she says, everything Mae does
is wrong, and Neel is caught in the middle of the battle of wills
between his mother and his future wife.
At the same time, another conflict brews between mother Tota and
daughter Savitri - for Savitri refuses to consider marriage
proposals from any of the suitors suggested for her. Finding a
husband for her is not a simple matter as she was born under a
cursed sign. But Savitri will have none of it and is intent on
making her own life.
India is revealed in all its complexities and chaos - from the
headlights for elephants in the traffic, to the contemplation of
driverless cars. And of course there is a mystical element, no book
about India could be without it - from the mathematical astrologer
to the 200 hundred year old guru who looks in his fifties. The
curses, the traditions, and the astrological charts all have their
place, and somehow infuse the modern world - and eventually people
do find love, fulfilment and understanding.
One of the nice things about this story, is the respect for the
grandmother or female elder in each family, Dadi in the Indian
family, and Dolly in the Australian family. Each of them is the wise
woman and peacemaker, the heart of the family. Mae and Savitri,
whilst very modern independent young women, each learn from their
beloved elder.
There is lots to like about this story. The characters are realistic
and familiar, the conflict of generations and cultures is told with
a subtle humour, and the mystical entwines with the modern in a
willing suspension of disbelief, leading to a heart-warming and
satisfying conclusion. Themes: India, Feminism, Destiny, Conflict,
Modern vs Traditional.
Helen Eddy
